The Love Files: Twisted
by mysteria-wilson
Summary: It's funny how life has a way of veering so far from your idea of perfection. She never thought she would have to use caution when falling in love. This is a story of how a single event can change it all. A story based on the love style Manic. Story Two of Six
1. The End

**Chapter One – The End**

_Manic lovers are often obsessive and very possessive with the object of their desires; Experiencing great emotional highs and lows, they tend to develop a sort of co-dependency almost to the point of obsession._

It was an early Saturday morning. Jordan Kyle crept down the stairs, hushing his girlfriend, Maia Roberts, as her foot kicked a stray beer can over the ledge. His frat brothers had teased her mercilessly in the past when she left during later hours so he had to resort to sneaking her out at what he considered the crack of dawn.

"So will I see you tonight for dinner?" She asked in between kisses. Jordan opened his mouth to answer but something in the yard caught his eye. It was littered with the remnants of the party from the previous night. Among the assortment of beer bottles, cans and half a burnt couch was…a body.

The couple stepped off the porch and slowly approached the figure. Jordan thought maybe he was just passed out drunk but as he neared, he saw the man had a sticky blood-like substance matted in his curly brown hair. He ran back into the house and woke the chapter president, Raphael Santiago. Raphael, of course thought he was joking.

"I'll bet you anything it's probably some drunken idiot who couldn't find his way back to campus. Or a cadaver from the school morgue. I'm sure it's just the Kappas pranking us back for filling their pool with Jell-O." He mumbled.

Jordan shook his head and pointed out the window to the small crowd forming. The TKE house was already in trouble for the prank war they were currently engaged in with Kappa Alpha Psi. They really didn't need any more heat from the administration at the moment. So Raphael followed Jordan back outside, pushing his way through the crowd of early morning joggers and females making their 'walk of shame' to check the genuineness of the body. He quickly withdrew his hand, a panicked look on his face. The faint thumping of a pulse revealed the body was in fact a real human being.

"Ok everyone back up and give him some room. Jordan, call 911 and alert campus security." He instructed before rolling the guy over. His face was covered with bruises and a deep looking gash, dried blood and bits of grass surrounding it. Raphael asked the crowd if anyone recognized the man before he checked his pockets in the hopes of finding a cell phone or student id. He wondered what happened that his face would be bruised in such a terrible manner and how he came to get the red rings around his wrist.

"Ralph, the cops are on their way with an ambulance. They said to wake everyone up, they want to get statements."

When the cops arrived, they got right to their questions. Many of the brothers were still trying to wake up or were hung over and couldn't offer anything other than bits and pieces of the details about the party from last night. Patrick Penhallow dismissed them along with many of the gawkers as they couldn't offer any insight before shifting his attention to Maia, Jordan and Raphael.

Jordan explained how he and Maia were the first ones to discover the body.

"So you came out of the house with this young lady here. You were standing on that porch and you saw something 'strange' in the yard. You left the porch and walked over to check it out."

Jordan nodded before telling the cop how he woke Raphael and he checked the body for authenticity. "He thought maybe it was a dead body from the morgue or someone just passed out."

"And he's not a member of this house? This isn't some hazing ritual gone wrong? Because we have a zero-tolerance policy-" The cop started accusing but Raphael assured him it was nothing of that sort.

"He's not one of ours. You can ask around at the other houses but no one seems to know him. I checked his neck for a pulse and checked his pockets. The guy didn't have an id or wallet. I asked him some basic questions but he wasn't saying anything." Raphael stated.

The cop jotted it all down and handed Raphael his card, asking him to call if he remembered anything from the previous night before joining his partner, Malachi Dieudonne by the ambulance.

"Got anything?" Malachi asked as he popped a cigarette in his mouth. Patrick read over his notes and pieced together his idea of what transpired.

"He's not a member of the house and no one remembers him from the night before but in their 'defense' they had 'a lot of people in and out of the house.' I'm guessing he was partying at one of these places, possibly floating from party to party. Came here, maybe he got into a fight with someone, got his ass kicked and passed out on the lawn. His assailant could have been drunk as well and walked away not thinking anything was wrong with the guy."

Malachi nodded and blew out a puff of smoke. "That's one theory but it doesn't explain the gash on his forehead, the evident signs of bondage around his wrists, the fact that he's dehydrated or why he had this gun tucked into his belt." He reached behind him to reveal an evidence bag containing .22 caliber hand gun.

Patrick looked it over and shook his head. "What is going on with these kids these days? I was hoping for something open and shut." Patrick ran his hand through his hair before asking the paramedics which hospital they were taking the boy to.

"St. Mary's. We'll get some fluids in him and run some full body scans to see if he has any broken bones and check for a concussion. Once he's all cleaned up, you can bring him to the station Sergeant."


	2. What Happened

**Chapter Two – What Happened**

_"Tell me I meant something to you. Tell me that what we had was real._"_ He barked at Clary as she cowered in the corner like a frighten child. He stood there waving the gun at her, trying to force an answer out of her. Somehow she summoned the strength she needed to answer him. Then she was going over the edge, her scream echoing off the walls._

The brown haired man blinked his eyes rapidly, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He felt around for his glasses, slipping them onto his face once he found them. After having only flashes and glimpses of the events prior, his mind was finally regaining consciousness. He was in the hospital. And there were cops chatting outside his door.

When the nurse walked in, she gave him a sweet smile. She informed him he didn't have a concussion and only suffered a broken wrist. He looked down and noticing the bandage. He opened his mouth to ask her a question but found his voice hoarse. She handed him a stiff Styrofoam cup filled with icy cold water.

"Here, you were really dehydrated. I'll let them know you're awake." She jerked over her shoulder with her thumb.

"What day is it?" he managed just as she reached the door.

"It's Saturday the 25th."

The man processed this. It had only been a day but it felt like a week had passed. He slid up in the bed just as the door to his room was thrown open and in rushed his mother, Elaine Lewis. Her face was filled with relief but her eyes were a blazed.

"Simon! Simon! Oh thank God, you're awake. Listen, you don't have to say anything." His mother warned before the cops brushed her aside.

"Son, do you know where you are?"

Simon nodded and looked around. "I'm in a hospital."

The cop nodded and asked him if he knew his name. Simon stated his full name before asking what all this was about.

"I'm Sergeant Penhallow and this is my partner Sergeant Dieudonne. We need to ask you a few questions. Are you well enough to move?"

"Yeah but I don't understand why am I here? And where is Clary?"

The two cops exchanged a look before going over their notes. They had no idea who or what he was talking about. He looked to his mother who shook her head and held a finger to her lips. But Simon didn't care. He needed to know that Clary was okay, that she got away from that maniac.

"Son, who is Clary?"

Simon opened his mouth to answer but Elaine snapped at him. "He has just woken up after being attacked. I suggest you do your job and find the person who did this to my son. We will see you at the police station, Sergeant."

The cop snapped his notebook closed and pulled his partner out of the room. Elaine threw Simon a bag of fresh clothes and shouted at him to get dressed before she softened her voice. "I'm sorry but when the hospital called and told me the state in which you were brought in, I was so worried. Do you remember what happened?"

Simon pushed all other thoughts aside and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to piece together the events before he blacked out.

"It was Jace. He attacked me and Clary. They have to find her Mom. She's still out there with him." Simon threw back the cover and jumped off the bed with a start. Elaine steadied his shoulders and looked into her son's eyes.

"The cops will but first you will have to tell them everything Simon. Answer whatever questions they have. Do you understand?"

Simon did and made quick work of getting dressed while Elaine got his discharge papers.

As soon as Simon and Elaine arrived at the station, he was whisked away to a room where a public defender, Robert Lightwood and the cops were already waiting for him. Since he was under 21, his mother demanded a lawyer be present.

"You are not under arrest and you don't have to answer any of their questions. But it would be most helpful if you did. The decision is yours."

Simon stated he would comply with their questions and took the only available seat next to Robert while Malachi leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Unlike the cop shows on television, the interrogation room didn't have a two-way mirror or a window. It was a small and windowless office made of cinderblock and had a cold temperature about it.

The cop started the tape recorder on the steel gray table and announced his full name and rank as well as his partner's before commenting on the case number, the date and time the interview was conducted.

"I am here with …Simon Lewis and his lawyer Robert Lightwood. This morning around 7:26, Mr. Lewis was discovered passed out on the lawn of the TKE fraternity house, local chapter at Columbia University by fraternity brother Jordan Kyle and his girlfriend, Maia Roberts. After alerting the chapter president, a Raphael Santiago, I was notified along with campus security.

"Mr. Lewis was transported to St. Mary's for testing. Despite the bruising and the gash on his forehead he only suffered a broken wrist. He was found with no form of identification and a .22 caliber hand gun, registered to one Clarissa Morgenstern. When we approached Mr. Lewis in the hospital he appeared dazed but strong enough to called out for "Clary". Is she Clarissa?"

"Yes, she's my girlfriend and before you ask, no I currently don't know of her whereabouts."

"Simon…" Robert said curtly.

Patrick chose to ignore it and asked Simon if he could remember how he came to passing out on the fraternity house lawn. When Simon didn't answer, he tried another route.

"The gun. It has your fingerprints all over it and we know it was fired recently. Now your girlfriend is missing and you have her gun. You say you want us to find her but I need something to go on here Mr. Lewis. Now if you are still refusing to tell me anything then I will have to-"

"Do what? Lock me up? You don't understand; she isn't safe, not with him. Now you need to get out there and find her!"

Malachi pushed off from the wall and placed one hand on the table and pointed a rough finger in Simon's face. "Then you need to tell us something kid. Tell him about the blood they found on his shirt." He called to his partner, his eyes never leaving Simon's.

"There was a bit of blood on your shirt that didn't match yours and we found gun powder residue on your hands. Did you fire the gun? Maybe you were trying to protect her from whoever she isn't safe with?"

Simon scoffed, explaining that he was trying to piece it all together; that everything had happened really fast.

"Just tell them what they need to know so they can find Clary."

Simon resigned and informed the cops of the things he did remember. "I remember walking through the woods. I was trying to find some help. Clary was in danger. I wanted to get her away from that asshole. She was so afraid of him."

"Who were you trying to get her away from? Simon we need to know who she was afraid of. Who was it?" Patrick leaned forward, urging him to continue

"Jace. Jace Herondale."

Patrick wrote down the name before instructing Malachi to run his name through the database.

"I know that this is difficult for you. But whatever you can tell us, could safe your girlfriend's life. Now why don't you just go back to the beginning? How did you come to be at the mercy of Mr. Herondale?"


	3. That Morning

**Chapter Three – That Morning**

Simon and Clary were in their Brooklyn apartment discussing their plans for the day. It was the first time she didn't have to work on the art restoration with her former professor as part of her graduate degree. Simon had hoped she would be up for a classic monster movie marathon at the old Regal Theater. Clary had just agreed when her cell phone rattled on the glass dining table. Her face fell as she read the text message.

"I can't. Professor Starkweather just texted me. He's leaving next week for Shanghai and wants me to finish up the Renoirs we just got in."

"Blow it off. I haven't seen you in weeks and you've been working non-stop with that slave driver. I tell you what, turn off your cell and pretend you didn't get the text. Then go to your mom's old work space, working on some of your paintings. You always feel more relaxed when you've created a beautiful masterpiece."

Clary looked from her buzzing phone to Simon's sweet face and back to her phone again. She knew her boyfriend had a point. There was no need for her to come in on her day off, especially when she worked harder than the other students. So Clary turned her phone off and threw it onto the couch before heading to the bedroom to pack her art bag.

"Are you sure you don't mind me not going to the movie marathon with you?" she called out from the closet.

Simon leaned against the door frame to their bedroom. "Sure, I'll ask Erik if he wants to go. You need this. I'm sure we can find something to do later on. You can just call me when you finished. If I don't hear from you by 3, I'll just come and pick you up."

Clary ran back and kissed Simon on his cheek before asking him to grab her charcoals from the dresser. He turned to retrieve them just as their house phone began ringing. Clary let out an exasperated sigh.

"It's probably Professor Starkweather. I never should have given him my home number as well." She commented crossing the room to answer it but Simon stopped her.

"It's your day off remember. I'll answer it and tell him that you're not here. Go pack." He smiled, grabbing the phone from the hook. As soon as he spoke a greeting, the line went dead. Simon looked at the phone for a second before putting it back on the cradle and went back to his search for Clary's charcoals. When he found them, he threw them atop her bag before headed back to the dining room.

"Ok, I'm leaving now. I'm taking my cell phone but don't worry I won't answer it unless it's you," She winked before asking Simon for a favor.

"Would you mind stopping off at the bodega down the street and pick me up a couple of their blueberry muffins and some coffee. Just bring it to the studio." She asked a pleading look on her face.

Simon gently placed his paper down on the table and grabbed his jacket from the closet. After locking up their place, he ran down the stairs and threw open the door, brushing shoulders with a hooded man. The hooded man apologized before asking for directions. Simon pointed out the correct way and continued on to the corner store, texting his friend Erik along the way.

As Clary walked to the loft space her mother rented, listening to her music, she was unaware of the stranger following her. When she got to the loft, she used the rear entrance and headed up the stairwell, silencing the alarm.

She dropped her bag off on the couch she use to sleep on when her mother spend late nights here creating pieces that reflected the contents of her soul. Clary unhooked her headphones from her MP3 player and attached it to the docking station, turning on her artistic playlist. After she found a song that suited the mood she was in, she turned up the volume and danced over to the small storage closet where she stored her canvases and paint.

When she returned, she noticed the music had changed from the upbeat song she picked to a familiar haunting melody. It was a song she hadn't heard in a couple of years now as it held painful memories. And it wasn't a song she placed on her MP3 player, having burnt the only copy she owned. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she yanked the cord from the wall.

"You use to like that song. I wrote it for you remember?" A voice called to her. Clary slowly turned to see the golden haired man stepping out from behind a pillar. He threw back the hood of his leather jacket and smoothed his hair down, a lazy smile on his lips.

Clary immediately recognized the crazed look in his eye and backed away, remembering the gun Simon bought for her. At the moment he gave it to her she doubted she would ever need it but now she was thankful he'd convince her it was a good idea. As not to raise too much suspicion, she asked Jace why he was there.

"Why else? I missed you. You know I called you earlier but Simon answered. He and I aren't exactly on speaking terms so I hung up. I was prepared to leave and try again but then he came out so I had to play it cool. I figured maybe he was only going out to grab a paper. But then I saw you leave so I followed you. You didn't even know that I was behind you." Jace explained gradually approaching her.

"You know I bumped into him and he didn't even recognize me. He gave me directions." He chuckled.

Clary nodded before making a mad dash for the gun she kept under the couch. Jace hesitated only for a second before chasing after her. Jace had advanced on Clary just as she retrieved the hardware from the lockbox when Simon came through the door remarking on an event that happened at the bodega. He noticed the scuffle and dropped everything, tackling Jace to the ground. Clary wrenched free of Jace's grasp and again made a dash for the gun. Jace kicked Simon in the stomach and grabbed the gun before Clary had the chance to reach it. She got onto her feet and held her hands out in front of her, as if to offer an apology.

Simon caught his breath and jumped on Jace's back. The two boys thrashed around, both grappling for control of the gun when Clary was shoved into the desk just as the gun went off. Jace heard himself scream "No!" as she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. He wrenched the gun away from Simon and slammed the butt of the gun into his head. As Simon fought against consciousness, he fell to his knees just as Jace was approaching Clary's still form.


	4. You Knew Him

**AN: To Reviewer Greygirl2358, I'm sorry I couldn't reply to your personally as you reviewed as a guest :( But to answer you and others who may have the same confusion Simon is telling the entire story but certain parts he speaks of are accounts he heard from the source [Clary or Jace] Now his mother shushed him in the hospital because she didn't want him to say anything that would get him in trouble with the cops. it wasn't that she didn't care about Clary, she was just being a little paranoid and didn't want him to get in trouble.**

**Chapter Four – You Knew Him**

Patrick stopped Simon to inquire more about the identity of the intruder.

"So Clary knew the guy who attacked her? On an intimate level, it seems. This wasn't something random."

Simon shook his head. "We both knew Jace. We use to be friends in college before things became a bit complicated. He and Clary used to date but I knew Jace longer than she did. He and I went to high school together. We were a mismatched pair, he and I. I was a Dungeons and Dragons nerd while Jace preferred to be Mr. Popular. But we bonded in our AP classes. Jace Herondale was very smart. Back then I didn't understand why he chose to hide it but I soon learned why as time went on.

"Our senior year, we applied to many of the same schools and when we both discovered we'd been accepted to Columbia University, it was a no brainer. I just knew that Jace was going to succeed but he couldn't hack it. Rather he allowed his grades to slip. He was swept up in partying and essentially living on his own. His dad was a bit of a hard ass and I think Jace enjoyed not having that pressure on his shoulders any longer.

"After the first semester, he was put on academic probation. End of freshman year, he'd received notice he couldn't return for a year. But we kept in contact and he assured me he was keeping up with his studies at another university. I encouraged him but then I doubted he would return. Jace said a lot of things over the years and very few times did they actually come to pass."

"But he did, right?" Patrick asked.

Simon swallowed some water and nodded. "Yeah, it was right around the last week of summer break before my junior that he called me up out of the blue to say he was coming back. He asked me to meet him at this local bar. I remember how excited he was to be back and the promises he made me about not screwing things up this time."

"Ok, so how did you and Clary meet? Did you two share a class or something? She lived in your building?"

Simon smiled fondly at the memory. He considered it sheer luck that they met. He was working at library tutoring station. His shift was 5 minutes from being over when this red haired beauty slammed her books on the desk and demanded a math tutor. Despite there being a variety of tutors available, Simon lied and told her he was the only one there and he would be leaving soon.

"She offered to pay me double whatever my daily salary was if I would tutor her in Finite Mathematics. As a Game Theory major, I had taken the course the previous semester in my sophomore year so I knew I could help her. I told her I would do it for free despite her begging him to take the money. So we came to a compromise. If she passed her test, then I would tutor until the class was over. We stayed up for what seemed like the rest of the night, going over everything she believed would be on her test. I showed her little tricks and tips I used to remember linear systems and logic, easy ways to apply probability in her life and matrices.

"I didn't understand why an Art History Major would be taking a class like this but she explained she chose as computer science requirement. She passed her test and held up her end of the deal but I never accepted her payment. I enjoyed spending time with her and the feeling I got from helping her. I dreaded the end of the class but when it was over and she no longer needed a tutor, she still came round to study with me. And just like that we became fast friends. We eventually ventured outside of the library to coffee shops where we discussed movies, books and the like. I knew we were going to be great friends when we got into several heated arguments over classic video games."

Malachi returned, urging Patrick to come into the hall.

"So I ran a search on the name, Jace Herondale. Turns out he has a record. And you'll never believe this." He stated, pushing the file into Patrick's hands. He read over the highlighted section, his eyes widening as he did.

"Ok, get a team together and search the outskirts of the campus. If this kid made it to that frat house, then we have to believe he came from somewhere nearby. He said he remembered running through the woods so get a school map and see if there are any old properties surrounded by woods."

"I'm on it."

Patrick read back over the file, shaking his head as he returned to his interrogation.

"Tell me about Clary and Jace. How did that come about?"

"In order to understand that, you have to understand Clary and who she was back then."


	5. I Was Her Confidant

**Chapter Five – I Was Her Confidant**

"Junior year when Clary returned to Columbia, things started changing. The guys around campus started noticing her and she became popular. Not for reasons you would think. She wasn't a slut or anything like that. I think it was because she was picky about her choice in guys. But they weren't picky about her. It seemed like they all wanted to be with her.

"Something about her drove them wild. It wasn't just her looks but the essence of who she was. Clary didn't exactly have a type so a lot of guys asked her out. She went out with them all but things never progressed past the first few dates, some not making it to the second. There was always something about them that she didn't like or couldn't see past. I loved that she was so choosy about who she invited into her room and who she allowed to stay over. And I guess that just added to her legend."

Simon explained that he lived in the same dorm as Clary, just one floor below her. "She always wanted me in the lounge of her floor when the date ended. They all thought they were going to get lucky with her but none had so far. We actually worked out a system. When I saw her walking past the lounge, I would ask her if she was free to work on a project for some obscure class. If she said no, then the date went well. But so far she hadn't said no. she would slap her head and pretend she forgot before telling the guy she would call them and grab my hand, leading me to her room to 'work on the project'."

Simon, like he always did, asked her what was wrong with this guy. He knew it was something big if she couldn't remember his name.

"He was just really boring, more obsessed with his status as a power forward on the basketball team. And the ONLY reason why I remember that little fact is he felt the need to repeat it over and over as if would impress me." She gestured to herself as she looked around her messy room for something. Simon took a seat on the floor, placing his books next to his head on the bed as he looked around. Her floor was covered discard outfit options she tossed in preparation for the date; the desk covered with books on different styles and techniques of famous artists, Impressionist Era painters and her personal sketch books. Simon was itching for the chance to flip through them and see more of her work but Clary was very shy about it for reasons he didn't know. The ones she was proud of adorned the walls of her single room.

That was another reason why she felt the need to have a system in place. She couldn't use excuses like 'My roommate doesn't like me bringing guys over' or 'My roommate is a light sleeper so …" as other girls on campus could and had.

Clary continued to ramble on about the other low points of the date and Simon followed along despite how boring her story sounded. But then Simon didn't care what she talked about. He could listen to her give a lecture on the History of Yarn and would find it enjoyable. Simon just enjoyed being in her company. He knew how he felt about her but chose to keep his feelings under wraps. Simon was fearful that if he acted on them, she would reject him or claim she loved him like a brother and it would ruin the friendship.

"So what was the name of the class and what project were we gonna be working on? You know in case I run into him again."

"We are in Video Game Development with Professor Pangborn. The project is rebooting a classic video game for today's youth culture. Do you need the days and time the class meets as well." Simon joked.

Clary laughed and stuck her tongue out at him before asking if that was what he was working on, gesturing to his books. Simon nodded and slid his glasses back on his face.

"I was actually going to ask you your opinion on which game I should choose. I know a lot of the online computer games today focus on quests and adventure, you know real RPG things. So I was thinking of rebooting one of the PC adventure games like Day of the Tentacle, Quest for Glory, or King's Quest. I mean the graphics alone were so completely different than the ones we use today and since they wouldn't work on a newer computer, I decided to use…" Simon started explaining his ideas and theories, getting tunnel vision like he had so many times in the past. But he started faltering and lost his train of thought when he noticed Clary was undressing right in front of him.

She removed her top, revealing the black and pink polka dot bra underneath. She placed her hands on her hips, drumming her fingers against her stomach as she looked around for a more comfortable shirt than the one she wore on her date. When she spied it behind Simon, she finally realized why he stopped talking. Clary often wondered if Simon spent so much time on his school work and side projects because he was a virgin. He had no problem talking to girls, he just couldn't close. Rather than scold him, she decided to have a little fun.

"Do you like what you see?" She smiled sweetly in his face and she leaned forward far enough for his gazed to hone in on bridge of her bra. Simon swallowed uncomfortably and attempted to look somewhere else but his eyes kept slowly darting from a random spot on the wall to her chest.

Clary dropped down to the floor and crawled towards him, waiting until her chest was a mere inch away from his mouth. She froze and held still for a brief moment, test Simon to see if he would do something. Clary wasn't oblivious to the fact that Simon had a crush on her but she always felt like he was the type of guy she should date when she was out of school and owning a gallery or something. She also feared that she would break his heart if and/or when the relationship failed. When he appeared he was finally making his move, clary tapped his nose and grabbed the t-shirt she wanted from the bed behind him and straighten back up to pull it over her head.

Simon felt embarrassed and went back to the details of his project, avoiding her eyes as she left the room for the bathroom. When she returned, she was dressed in a worn pair of jeans, having ditched the skirt she was previously wearing. He pulled his books into his lap and scrambled to his feet as she slipped her arms into her jacket.

"It's still pretty early. Did you want to head to Java Jones and get a cup of coffee? Or we could go somewhere else if you're not in the mood for coffee." He offered but Clary already had plans.

"Tomorrow for certain. I told Kaelie I would help her study for our Midterm for American History class. Text me in the morning." She called out as she flipped her hair out of her jacket and headed out the door for the stairwell.

"So you were sweet on her but she had eyes for everyone else. Now you said this Jace guy returned to school when you were a junior so I'm assuming you introduced them."

Simon stiffened as he said, "Jace was the last guy I wanted her to be with."

**AN: Next chapter features some typical male bonding and a bit of cocky Jace.**


	6. Women aren't Mysterious

**Chapter Six – Women are Mysterious Creatures**

After Simon left Clary's room and returned to his own, he sat at his desk going over his notes for his project. He had hoped learning more about 8-bit technology would be enough to distract him but technology couldn't erase the image of Clary in her bra from coming to the forefront of his mind. The curve of hips and the fullness of her breasts. Just as he was leaning back in his chair, his phone vibrated, dancing across his desk.

Simon let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed it checking the message.

_"Forget the self-loving and come out for a drink with me."_

Simon stared it the message curiously before jumping at the sound of the tap at his window. Jace was standing outside in the grass, motioning for him to open the window. He did as his friend asked and backed up as Jace slid through with no effort.

"Why are we friends again?"

"Otherwise your life would be boring and you would be stuck jacking it to the librarian or some other nerdy chick."

Simon chuckled lightly before asking what Jace wanted. "I have my midterm project I need to work on. Something you should be doing if you want to stay in school."

"Already finished the one due tomorrow and Wednesday. All that's left is a bunch of tests. All I'm asking for is one drink. One drink and you can come back to your boring room and work on your boring project and jerk to boring women." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and stated, "One drink." I even held up one finger to further reiterate my point that one meant one.

"The thing to remember with Jace is one drink rarely means one. I was down three drinks and ordering another as I rambled on about Clary."

"Why are you so caught up on the one woman? Who clearly only sees you as gay best friend."

"Clary knows I'm not gay."

Jace shook his head and explained it didn't matter. The fact that she undressed in front of me without giving it a second thought meant I was not dating material in her eyes.

"What you need to do is, find a woman who wants you. I mean you already got that whole nerdy thing down and being a nerd and a geek is cool right now. Work that angle on any woman in the bar and I bet they will want to take you home. Do it and forget about what's-her-face." He said indifferently.

"You don't understand, Clary's different. She's -"

Jace laughed and took another swig of his second beer. "All women are different. Do you see those three women right there?" Jace asked Simon. He followed his gaze to a group of three girls casually chatting and giggling.

"Yeah what about them?"

Jace launched in a huge speech, pointing out what made each of them different. "Take the first one, she's obviously of Mexican descent, you can tell by her skin tone. The way she's running her finger around the top of her glass indicates she's a bit shy. She's probably here because she's best friends and quite possibly roommates with the girl she sitting next to. You can tell she's protective of her friend by how close they are sitting together.

"The middle one is clearly tough but also a bit guarded. She's clearly struggled to prove her worth among others, especially men.

"And the third one, well she's obviously a girly girl. The way her skin shines and the brightness of her face shows that. In addition to that, the way she's carrying herself, looking out for the others mean she's comfortable in the role of leader. If I had to guess I would say she comes from a large family and is probably the second or first oldest."

Simon snorted and shook his head, asking if there was anything else.

"Oh they are all in the same sorority and I'm gonna go home with the younger two, have a threesome and convince them that it was their idea."

"Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"This stuff is what's going to be on Psychology midterm. I'm doing what my professor said and applying the theory of what I learned in his class to aspects of my life. If I had taken it my freshman year, it would have gotten me a lot more dates and laid a hell of a lot more. The other day we discussed body language and the way small things say a lot about people's personalities. It is amazing the things women are trying to tell us when they do something as simple as toss their hair over their shoulders. And all this time, I thought there was some huge secret to understand them. Women are hardly mysterious, it's us men who don't know how to read what they are telling us."

Simon found it hard to believe that a subject as confusing as Psychology could be not only understood but broken down into simple enough terms that Jace could use them to pick up women. He was lucky when it came to the ladies but even he couldn't manage what he was claiming. He told Jace this to which he offered they bet on it.

"If I can get the both to leave the bar with me, you pick up my tab. If not, then I cover you tab for the rest of the year."

Simon couldn't believe that his friend was that confidant. He changed the prize of the bet to Jace paying for his coffee for the rest of the school year before agreeing. As the two shook on it, Jace downed the rest of his beer and got up, smoothing his hair back as he approached. It didn't take Jace long before the two girls were following him back to our table.

When he sat down with a huge grin on his face, Simon knew that his friend had succeeded.

"Girls, meet Simon Lewis, my best friend. Simon I would like you to meet Cristina Rosales and Emma Carstairs. They are roommates, best friends and both are members of Sigma Kappa here with their old Pledge Captain, Helen. They want to head back to their place for a bit of 'fun'. So I'll be taking my leave now but you have a nice evening and make sure you pay my tab." He winked, grabbing his jacket and headed out.

"Jace Herondale was a player and he loved the chase. It was once he got the women that he quickly grew bored. None of his relationships lasted longer than a month and he could talk his way out of anything. And I knew if he got his hooks in clary, he would just use her and then throw her away like he'd done the rest."

Patrick jotted down a quick note before asking if Jace and Clary met at the bar.

"No they met at a Halloween party. And like an idiot, I was the one who introduced them."

**AN: Chapter 8 brings Jace and Clary together**


	7. Their First Meeting

**Chapter Seven – Their First Meeting**

"Jace had been invited to a Halloween Party some girl he know. I think she was a family friend's daughter or something like that. I was shocked to hear there was actually a female that he hadn't slept with. So he of course dragged me along with him. I went as Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters while he dressed as Adonis of course."

The party was at a crappy house but that added to the night. The yard was decorated to look like a graveyard riddled with fog and what they thought were dead bodies were actually people just passed out.

From the second they arrived, the women were all over Jace. Simon left him in the kitchen with a trio of girls dressed like very slutty versions of Charlie's Angels. He walked through the rooms, a cup in hand, looking at the costumes people chose. The nerd in Simon loved Halloween, choosing to be creative with his costumes since he was a child. Others however seemed to choose whatever they felt exposed the most skin and made them seem cool. Making his way through the sweaty bodies and sticky floors, he spied Clary dressed as a pirate wench, dancing in the living room with her friend Kaelie and a guy with glittering blue hair.

"Simon, over here!" she called out swaying to the music. Simon waved and stood back, watching her, entranced by the motion of her hips. The song ended and changed into one he actually liked. Clary ran to him and pulled him into the center of it all, introducing him to Kaelie who was dressed in a fairy costume that was beyond slutty. The back was out, with only crisscrossing ribbons and a pointed tutu so short if Simon sneezed, it was blowing up.

"And this is Magnus; he's actually the one throwing the party, along with his boyfriend's sister who you just have to meet."

Simon looked the guy over, uncertain of what he was supposed to be. On his head was a fez he hadn't seen before and a vest that resembled the one that cartoon boy wore in that Disney movie; His pants nowhere to be found. Shaking his head, he started dancing with the group but eventually broke off from when Clary started grinding on him. He had just placed his hands on her hips when she broke away, needed to get a drink and a bit of fresh air. Simon reluctantly moved his hands and watched her walk away.

After bobbing his head to the music for three songs, Simon walked through the house in search of Clary. He asked around before finally finding someone who actually knew her. She was the other hostess of the party, Isabelle Lightwood. She was dressed in a corset and skirt, looking very comfortable in her 3 inch heels.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Simon rolled his eyes at the lack of inventiveness of her costume.

"I'm a vampire temptress. I didn't think it smart to go out and buy a costume when I had this in my closet." She smiled.

Simon nodded and felt a little out of his league as she started him down. He cleared his throat nervously and asked if she had seen Clary.

"She out in the back with Jace. Go figure he would come dressed as Adonis." She rolled her eyes and offered to show him the way. Simon chuckled and followed after her, impure thoughts floating through his head. She held open the door and climbed down the steps, searching the crowd for the golden haired Adonis. She quickly pointed them out and told Simon to find her if he was bored with the party. Simon ran his hand up and down his neck before walking off to the area Jace and Clary were.

"Hey here he is. This is my friend, Simon. Simon this chick reminds me so much of the one you've been bitching about for the past weeks. This is…I'm sorry I never got your name."

Simon shook his head and pointed to Clary. "Jace, I'd like you to meet Clary. Clary this is my oldest friend, Jace Herondale."

Rather than back pedal or remove his foot from his mouth, he shoved it down his throat even further.

"So you're the one he's been jerking it to, how many was it at last count? Three times a night? I guess I can see the appeal," Jace called out looking her over. "The heels and the fishnets are hot and I guess the hat."

Simon looked to Clary and tried to correct the situation but she shrugged it off and retorted with a smooth quip of her own. "Well I guess I got him beat. I flick the bean at least five times before I can even go to sleep."

"Jace liked the fact that Clary could match hi quips. Clary thought he was a bit of a douchebag and very assertive but liked it as it was a welcome change from what she was used to as she claimed. We stood around chatting and swapping stories about our freshman roommates, just having a good time. When we headed back in, we all danced and drank more than we should have. At some point the cops came and busted up the party. Jace suggested we head to this old warehouse in the Meat Packing District."

"Why there? Did that hold some sort of significance to him?" Patrick asked. They had been there for a few hours now and were no closer to finding the Clary or Jace. He knew that Simon discussing the past was helping him recall certain memories from the previous night. But with what he learned so far and read in Jace's file, Herondale posed a serious threat to the Fray girl.

"I don't really know. He was so smooth when it came to the ladies. Jace liked taking girls there and scaring them by walking along the edge of those old buildings and pretending to slip. He liked showing them that he wasn't afraid to die; making them fall for his charm. Something about that old place-" Simon drifted off as he got a little inkling that became flashes. Jace standing in the tower shouting and the gun. He tried digging for more but there was nothing there. He told this to Patrick who called it in to his partner, hoping they weren't too late.


	8. I Told Him To Go For It

**Chapter Eight – I Told Him to Go For It**

Malachi's team was searching the woods, finding little droplets of blood and drag marks along paths in the woods. In his time with the police department, he has seen some pretty grisly crime scenes but none of those cases sent him on a wild goose chase like this. He was certain this case would end with the Fray girl cuddled up to the Herondale boy, pointing fingers at Simon.

"Over here, we got something." Someone called out.

Malachi ran towards the direction and found Malik conversing with his brother, Kadir. The two men were gesturing to the woods and offering rational explanations. When Malachi joined them, he saw what the commotion was all about. Someone had crashed a yellow cargo van into a tree. It was registered to…Simon Lewis.

"So what are you thinking?" Malachi asked the brothers.

Malik stepped forward. "Lewis drove through here sometime last night when he was trying to escape or get help. He took this turn too fast and crashed it. Got out and walked to the Frat House before passing out."

Malachi nodded and considered the theory. There was blood in the van that could belong to Lewis. Right now if they were going to have a chance, they needed a solid piece of evidence. Just as he was preparing to move forward into the woods, his phone buzzed.

"We found a van in close proximity to the Frat Houses so it's looking like his story is checking out. I can't say for certain but it can't be a coincidence it's here…Yeah there's a few drops of blood along the seat…okay we'll check it out." He flipped his phone shut and called out for the map.

"Lewis said Jace liked to take girls to the abandoned warehouses in the Meat Packing District. So if he came from Brooklyn, what road would he take?" Malachi pondered out loud, running his fingers along the routes on the map.

Patrick returned to the room and asked Simon to speed his story up. "It's Halloween and they finally meet. He takes you guys to the old warehouse and then woos her. That sounds right?"

"Yeah, after that night I was worried Jace was going to start hounding me for information but he didn't. When we hung out, he never asked about Clary. He would just brag about his latest conquests. Then right after Thanksgiving, he came over to play video games. Out of nowhere he asks me about her. He tried to act all casual about it but I could see there was something there. So I told him to go for it."

"Wait I thought you said Jace was the last guy you wanted her to be with? If that's true why did you basically give him your blessing?"

"I knew that Clary wasn't his type. I figured one of two things would happen. She would shut him down and or go out on date with him for me and then have me come over. But I was wrong. Jace had somehow charmed his way into her heart."

The day after Jace spoke with Simon about Clary, he started asking her out. And every time she would blow him off. He found it strange that none of his usual tricks were working. He even tried using psychology on her. Just when he was prepared to give up, he saw her mention something on her Facebook about a new exhibit at the MET she had to see for one of her classes.

He looked up the exhibit and did a little bit of research, believing Clary to be one of those girls who were impressed when guys showcased their smarts. After a few phone calls he found out she was taking a private tour arranged by her professor at 11 the next day. Jace bribed the woman to allow him on the list, claiming he missed the deadline to sign up.

The next day he rode his motorcycle into town and parked it around the corner from the museum. Five minutes after Clary had gone in, Jace followed, checking in and walked off in search of her. What he wasn't prepared for was the exhibit. The website stated they were showcasing classic Mapplethorpe photographs. He hadn't realized that included the work he did with the male and female nudes. Not that Jace had a problem with the nude form of either sex; his research was all about his statuary work. But he was determined to use it to impress Clary. He found her staring at a photo of a guy who had his back bared to the camera holding both his legs out from his body.

He slowly waked up behind her, surprised she was actually sketching the photograph. Instantly Jace decided to drop the act and forget all his tricks and just be himself.

"I like the way he photographed him in black and white, using a black backdrop so the light draws attention to the muscles in his back and shoulders."

"So do I. You can really see the tension he carries, his strong posture." She responded not looking up.

Jace leaned in until he was right next to her ear and whispered, "Not to mention his flexibility. I don't know if I can spread my legs that far."

Unable to stifle her laughter, she received a stern look from the curator. Clary turned; shocked to see she was talking with Simon's douchebag friend. He shushed her and pointed back to the photograph. Rolling her eyes she turned her back to him and continued to sketch the photograph.

Jace had left her when she got to the more risqué photos of the men. She chalked it up to him being a bit homophobic but was surprised to discover him chatting with her friend Magnus who wasn't shy about his sexuality at all. They were staring at a photograph of _Dan S._ who's entire backside and rear was facing the camera, his legs spread so a small portion of his testicles were showing. Magnus was gesturing with both hands about the width of his shoulders while Jace mentioned something about his use of the natural light to create a split view in the same photograph. Magnus was clearly under his charm and said such as Clary when she joined their group. They moved on the women and Jace once again said nothing but pure thoughts about the work.

When her tour was over Jace walked her to the subway near his motorcycle. He causally straddled it and pulled out his spare helmet, offering it to her along with a cup of coffee.

"I really shouldn't. I need to get back and work on some assignments. Plus I have to study for my art history test."

"It's one cup of coffee Clary not an invitation to an all-night rave. Which by the way Magnus is throwing next week, you should come. If it'll make you feel better, we can talk about art while we drink it."

She rolled her eyes and against her better judgment, she grabbed the helmet and slipped onto the back of his motorcycle. He waited until she was comfortable before sliding her hands further up his chest. As it roared to life, Jace could feel the excitement she was emitting. He revved it once and pulled out into traffic, picking up speed as they crossed the bridge. Clary allowed herself to let go and just have that moment.

Over coffee, despite Jace's offer, they didn't talk about school or art. He opened up to her about things he hadn't told anyone else. His parents.

"My dad's a powerful man with a lot of secrets. And he did what he felt others expected of him, acquiring things he believed he needed to make him happy. My mother was very young when they married and had me. In some ways I guess I was her escape from it all. When I was old enough, my father confessed in me that he only married her for business. That despite being with her all these years and being a faithful husband, he never truly loved her the way one would their spouse."

"My parents aren't together anymore either. My father was too obsessive with my mother and drove her away. When it came down to it, my older brother chose to stay with my father and I went with my mom. She's constantly living in fear that one day he's gonna come and demand her back."

"Well aren't we a pair to be had." Jace chuckled.

After they finished their coffee, Clary wasn't ready to head back to campus yet so Jace suggested cosmic bowling.

Jace found himself falling for her, surprised that he was so comfortable being himself around her. He loved how excited she got over the smallest of victories and her passion for art. Clary was shocked to learn that he was classically train in piano and made him promise to play her something one day.

After bowling, they took a stroll through the park where he bought Clary an ice cream cone as she commented she had never tasted true soft serve. Clary was laughing at something he said and Jace noticed the bright gleam her eyes held when she did. He decided then that he always wanted to be the one to make her laugh. Clary noticed he was staring at her and asked if she had something on her face.

"Yeah, a little bit of ice cream right on your top lip." He pointed out before leaning in to lick it away, placing a small kiss in the process.

Normally Clary would shy away from acts of public affection and people so bold to make a move like that but decided to continue it, pulling lightly on his lips so he couldn't leave her embrace so easily. Just as Jace started to give more into the kiss, he felt a sudden coldness on his cheek. He opened his eyes to see Clary had smashed the rest of her cone onto his face. He slid his hand over the mess, getting a good glob of the frozen delicacy and began threatening to smash into Clary's hair. She took off running but Jace quickly caught up to her and grabbed her midsection just as they rolled down a hill. When they finally stopped, he was on top looking once again into her emerald eyes.

"With Clary, Jace never felt the need to hide behind sarcasm and witty jokes. He opened up and allowed her in, and to him that was a serious thing. He was falling in love with her."

**AN: We're starting to get into the meatier parts of the story so I will be going back and forth between Simon's POV and that of the Malachi. ;)**


	9. Don't Screw It Up

**Chapter Nine – Don't Screw It Up**

After that day at the gallery, Jace and Clary decided to give a relationship a chance. The night of their first official date, he took her piano bar and actually played something for her. While she was being blown away by Jace's talents, Simon was across town waiting for Clary to join him for the 50's monster movie marathon they did every year before shutting themselves in their dorms to study for their finals.

He had texted her at least 17 times before deciding to give up on her and head back to her dorm. He was in the midst of studying when she finally called him back. He quickly dropped everything and headed over to ask her about the date.

"So how was it? It was bad wasn't it? I apologize, Jace isn't exactly known for his romance."

Clary lay back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, a goofy grin on her face. "It was one of the best dates I've been on in a while. I know I said he wasn't my type but once you get past all the sarcasm and the walls he put up, he's actually a really sweet guy. I'm going out with him again tomorrow night."

"Again?" Simon asked, rolling over onto his side to gauge his friend's reaction. Clarissa Adele Fray didn't do second dates. She went out with a guy once, made up some obscure excuse and then moved on. As he watched, he saw the secret smile playing on her lips and knew what it meant.

"I warned her that she should take things slow with Jace. I had seen this before. He would woo the girls in the beginning but would get tired of them and before he broke it off, he already had someone else lined up. I told her that he was a player and to make sure she is careful not to put her heart on the line until she had been with him for a while. Clary said she would but I could tell that she was already in his gravity."

"So what did you do? Try to sabotage the relationship? Because all I'm hearing so far is that Herondale and Fray are madly in love and you're feeling left out in the cold."

"I wanted to be happy for her. I truly did but I also knew Jace and I knew how to read the signs that he was getting restless. It wasn't a matter of if but when he would. But I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt so I distanced myself a bit and allowed them to be happy while keeping an eye out for the signs."

The night of their second date, Simon sat in his room, working on his notes for his video game project, the one he turned in for his midterm. His professor was so pleased with his work; he encouraged Simon to perfect it. He told him if it had a successful beta test, he would suggest it to some of the game developers he knew.

With that on the horizon, he focused all his free time into preparing his baby for the beta testing. He had just finished the C++ coding when his alarm went off. He saves his work and headed upstairs, eager to share his good news with her. As soon as he got to her floor and rounded the corner, he saw Clary and Jace conversing outside her door. He pushed a button on his phone, calling her cell.

She ignored the call as Jace pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Simon looked away, turning back after a few seconds to see Clary inviting him into her room. Crushed, Simon walked back to his room and threw himself into his work.

Sometime later Clary called him but he chose to ignore it, preferring to lick his wounds. Before he went to bed, his curiosity got the better of him and he checked the message, regretting it immediately.

_Simon? Where are you? I wanted to tell you how things went tonight. Jace is…so amazing. I know you said to take things easy with him and I am. Tonight he's staying over but I want us all to grab some breakfast in the morning. Say you'll come? Call me."_

The happiness was clear in her voice and Simon didn't want to intrude on something personal so he saved his news for the following day.

"We did go to breakfast the next day and despite them denying it, I knew they crossed the line the night before. When Clary headed to the bathroom, Jace informed me he wanted to invite Clary to visit him in Upstate New York for a week during Christmas break. Now no matter how much fun or how serious the relationship was; Jace never brought any girl home to meet his parents, especially his father. He was critical of everyone in his son's life. I told him to make sure he warned Clary of how cutting he could be."

"Then that evening, Jace called me to the music building. He stated he needed my opinion on the perfect gift for Clary."

When he arrived, he was surprised to see his friend behind the piano. Growing up Jace had lessons every Wednesday and Saturday for four hours. By the time the two were in high school, Jace had the potential to be in New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Then one day, he quit and focused his attention elsewhere. So to see him stretching out his piano fingers and pounding out beautiful melodies was a serious shock to Simon.

"Was that Beethoven?" Simon called out, interrupting Jace's focus.

"No, Tchaikovsky's _Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies'_. I wanted to learn it for Clary, it's her favorite ballet."

"Clary doesn't like the ballet. She doesn't even know about classical music." I scoffed.

Jace continued to play, his fingers moving so fast they appeared to be ghosting over the keys. "Clary in fact does know a little bit about classical music. She listens to Chopin and Debussy when she's painting and she has gone to the Nutcracker Ballet every year with her mother since she was 7."

"So is that you're gift to Clary? Telling her you're playing again?"

Jace chuckled and changed the tune of the music he was playing. It was beautiful but haunting melody filled with dramatic lifts and low drops.

"I wrote this for her. I haven't felt inspired like this in a long time and it's all because of her. She's my muse."

Simon clapped as the music ended his soul feeling at peace. It was the way he always felt when he heard Jace play. And like always when the music ended, he was presented with unmistakable clarity. He looked at his oldest friend, within his eyes and saw the words he spoke reflected in his eyes and his heart. Could it be possible that Jace was actually going to make this work? Was Clary the piece that was missing from his life all along?

Even if she was, he still needed to warn him. Clary wasn't like other girls that Jace fooled around with. Despite him doing things with her that he hadn't with others, he still knew that a leopard never changed its spots.

"I see that you care for Clary and things are getting serious between you two. And I'm happy that you're happy. Clary is someone special and if you screw it up, screw her over or do anything to break her heart, our friendship is over." Simon told him, looking into his eyes still.

Jace didn't waver as he promised Simon he wouldn't.

"I know I've screwed up in the past but Clary is worth the change I'm evoking. She trusts me and I'm not planning on doing anything to break her trust. I can promise you that."


	10. Estranged Friends

**Chapter Ten – Estranged Friends**

Jace brought Clary to his home in Upper New York, to meet his parents over Christmas break. Celine was thrilled that her son finally felt strongly about someone to bring her back the house he quickly left when he had the chance. Despite the divorce, she still remained in the house with Stephen Herondale, who was a bit harder to please. He took one look at her and said nothing, choosing to walk away. Clary felt a bit hurt but hid it well.

Jace kept Clary by his side and stayed in his Mother's side of the house. His father was content to leave them there but often called for Jace to 'discuss business' as he so eloquently put it. And every time Jace returned to the room he shared with Clary, he was tight lipped and in a foul mood. Celine looked fearful as if she knew what her ex-husband was asking of their only son.

Over dinner one night, Clary finally got the guts to ask Celine why she stayed with Stephen all this time.

"Stephen is a man who believes that he can rule everything he sets his sights on. And he has. I am certain that Jace hasn't told you what his father does. That's because he doesn't know what he does. He has his grip on everything and that extends to me. When I had him served with the papers, he promised that I wouldn't leave the house. And when I tried, I saw the ruthless side of him.

"It was as if a flip switched within him. One second, he was the sweet guy that I love. And then he was this monster with fire burning in his eyes, claiming that I was his. That if I ever left him, I would be dead. So he resolved to keep me here, in the part of the house he stores all the beautiful things he's acquired. And I fear he is trying to pull Jace into the folds."

Her suspicions were confirmed Christmas night when Jace finally gave Clary her Christmas present. They had to venture into the neutral zone, the middle of the house where the music room was located. He sat at the piano, she leaning against it as he played the piece he wrote for her. She allowed it to wash over her and consume her from the inside out. It was full of such passion and seemed to tell a story: How she looked through his eyes. When she finished, Clary questioned the infliction behind the music.

"I'm not sure what Simon has told you about me, if anything at all. But I used to be a real ass. I didn't understand what it meant to have a heart, let alone use it. I toyed with women's emotions and thought nothing of it. And then I met you and all of a sudden, it was like I was awake," he explained, placing his hand on hers. She looked down at his noticing the veins and little scars that made up who Jace was. "I know that you are taking a chance on me and I want you to know that I don't take it lightly. With you Clary I've gotten a fresh start and I won't screw it up."

"I'm sure you won't Son. Every man needs a beautiful woman on his arm and I don't think you'll find one more beautiful than Clarissa Morgenstern." He gestured.

Clary arched her eyebrow at the man emerging from the shadows. Even Jace didn't know her full name.

"I thought your name was Clary Fray?" Jace asked, never taking his father. He didn't trust the man as far he could throw him. The fact that he knew Clary made it more nervous.

"That's the name her mother gave her when she left her husband Valentine. He was the one who named her at birth. And I'm sure he will be pleased to know his daughter will be on the arm of my son when he takes over the business."

Jace slammed the piano top but said nothing. And that was the way he remained until they returned to school the next day, cutting their break short. Celine was sad to see them go but preferred her son be away from that place with his father. Jace apologized for his father's actions before giving her, her second Christmas present. When the taxi pulled up in front of a brick house, Jace asked her to move in with him.

"The day before school was supposed to start up; they dropped the news on me. They were living together in a nice one bedroom duplex, right around the corner from where I was moving with my old band mate Erik. The second I had a minute alone, I asked clary to make sure this was something she wanted. She assured me it was and only asked that I be happy for her.

"I was cautious but Clary was happy. I helped them move and everything appeared to be going well. But I didn't want to be around when things went south so I stayed away, keeping busy with my band. Then we ran into each other at a party."

Simon's band had just finished their set. It was late enough and people were drunk enough to believe they sounded good. He had just stepped off the stage when she popped up and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in a while. I hope this isn't going to be the only way I see you now."

Simon shrugged and continued to wrap the cords as if he hadn't heard her. Clary was quick to pick up on but said nothing, grabbing an amp and following him out the door to load the van. As he started to make his way back in, Clary reached out and grabbed his arm, stopped him.

"Talk to me Si. What's going on with you? You're avoiding me and now you're not talking to me."

Unable to keep his true feelings in any longer, Simon finally told her what was on his mind.

"I think things are moving too fast between you and Jace and I don't want to be around when he breaks your heart. And before you say that he won't do it and feed me whatever excuse he gave you, I'm sure I heard it all before," he sighed squatting against the wall, placing his head in his hands. He spoke into his hands, unable to look at her. "I can't always be the guy who helps you lie when you don't want a second date and I refuse to be there to picks up the remains of your shatter heart."

"And what do you know about being in a relationship? When is the last time you've gone after someone?"

Simon jumped to his feet and got in Clary's face. "I'm actually seeing someone right now but you obviously wouldn't know as you're so far up Jace's ass to have a life of your own."

"Pretty harsh there Lewis. I thought she was your friend."

He shook his head. "I know but I was hurt that she hadn't known what was going on in my life. But as soon as it came out of my mouth, I knew I was wrong. I tried to take it back but she was hurt and just walked away.


	11. Kiss and Make Up

**Chapter Eleven – Kiss and Make-Up**

As a favor to Clary, Jace tried to make up with Simon. When she told him of the events that transpired the night of the party, he promised her he would fix things and somehow prove that he wasn't going to destroy Clary's innocence. Jace learned from Simon's roommate Erik that his former friend had taken up residence at the local coffee house when he wasn't in class or practicing with the band. Jace found him in the upper level; books spread out in front of him as he sipped a caffeinated drink and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose with his pointer finger. Jace took a seat across from him and waited for Simon to notice him.

"He started giving me what I clearly felt was a rehearsed speech about how he was a changed man. He was never one to use sentences like 'we prefer this' or 'we like'. But the first thing out of his mouth was 'we're worried about you.' I scoffed and told him exactly what my problem was with him."

"You claim that the two of you are worried about me. You use to be my best friend and she was as well. But ever since the two of you got together, I haven't been able to be around you. It hurts me to see you with her because I know that you're going to break her heart.

"In every relationship, there has to be an anchor. The other person leads the way and follows the set course while the anchor is always there to prevent it from veering off into chaos once the honeymoon period is over. You're chaos Jace." Simon told him, shutting all his books and gathering his papers. He grabbed his coat and ran down the stairs, out into the cool night air. As Simon was zipping up his coat, Jace grabbed Simon by the wrist.

"I understand what you're saying. I really do. But I can't understand why you don't believe me when I say I won't screw this up."

"Because it's what you always do Jace." Simon shouted finally coming to a stop. "You're like a kid with a shiny new toy. Eventually you get tired of being played with it and you cast it aside for the next new toy. It's what you always do with no regard to the ones you leave broken in your wake."

Jace's golden eyes bore into Simon's brown ones. "I've changed. She's making me change."

Simon rolled his eyes. "People don't change, they only fool themselves into thinking they can." He stated before heading home.

Not wanting to give up, Jace searched for a way to make his friend see that he was for real about Clary. The next day while he was in his psychology class discussing the topic of love and loss, he developed an idea of how to get Simon to see that he was serious about Clary.

"Jace texted me an address and asked me to show up there once I was finished with my classes. I contemplated not going but my curiosity got the better of me. Imagine my surprise when the address turned out to be a jewelry store. Jace was already inside looking at rings."

"So he was planning on proposing to prove to you that he was serious about her."

"That's what I thought as well but he was actually there to get a chain fixed and a ring polished. Jace always wore his family's ring on his finger. It was an heirloom kind of thing that was passed down from father to son. It was one of those things that he never took off; never. But he was preparing to give it to Clary as a sign that he was serious about her, about their relationship and their future together. He asked me to be there when he did so he wouldn't chicken out.

"He asked me to meet him at 7:30 later that night at the Psychology building in a room in the basement, reserved for the psychological experiments they conducted. His thought was I would stand in one room and watch them in the next room through the use of a two way mirror. But when Clary was showed into the same room as me, I knew something was up."

The lights in the room opposite the mirror came on and Jace was strapped to a chair. His voice came in over the intercom system.

"This is a locked room, and I've taken the precautions to ensure that you can't get to me. Now you two have decided to not speak to each other. Simon you don't want to believe that I won't hurt Clary and break her heart so this is the only way I can think of to prove to you that I won't. We are going to conduct 'The Milgram Experiment'."

Jace went on to explain what the original project and what the version being conducted on him would entail. The gist of it all was Jace would receive a shock every thirty seconds until he finally said that he was going to break her heart, with the voltage increasing with every shock.

"Clary and I begged him not to but he nodded to the guy in a lab coat who flipped a switch and shocked him. We pounded on the glass and kept shouting but he wasn't listening to us. He was shouting, at the top of his lungs that he loved Clary and he wouldn't break her heart. When he neared the 100 mark, he started convulsing and Clary was so upset that she was crying into my shirt. And then we heard laughter. Both of us were shocked to see that not only was he fine, but the tech was an actor and Jace never received a shock higher than 55 volts. Clary slapped him but her heart wasn't in it. She was pleased he was willing to go to such lengths to impress her and prove his love."

"Sound like he either really wanted to prove to you he was serious or he had a few screws loose." Patrick commented before asking Simon what he believed.

"If you would have asked me then, I would have thought he was just crazy in love. But now I know that Jace was crazy. I mean truly bat shit crazy."

"What do you mean? What happened that made him snap and decide to attack Clary? Try to remember Simon. We need something more than he was willing to undergo psychological experiments. Tell me what made him snap. He clearly came to her loft unarmed. Why did he feel the need to kidnap her?"

I forced my eyes close and tried to remember more about the events after the incident in the loft.

"We were both fighting for the gun and it went off. He shouted out no, thinking that the bullet hit her. He was obsessed with her once they broke up. He didn't just want her back, he wanted to own her."

**AN: Chapter 12 discussed the break-up of Clace :( **


	12. The Breakup

**Chapter Twelve – The Break Up**

Malachi's team arrived at the building just as the sun came out from behind the clouds. The brightness caused him to shield his eyes just as it caught the glint of something shiny. Parked near the loading dock was the motorcycle the Lewis kid claimed the Herondale boy owned. He got the license info and called it in before instructing his team to take the building one floor at a time. As they neared the stairwell, they found pieces of glass and blood splatter along it. Stopping to collect the evidence, they tried to piece the crime scene together.

"Already skip ahead to the break-up Lewis. How did the seemingly perfect couple fall apart?"

Simon gulped down the water he was drinking before looking over the top of the glass, right at Patrick. "Aline. Aline Penhallow."

Patrick's eyebrows arched at the mention of his daughter's name but said nothing. His daughter never mentioned a Jace Herondale and she was currently in a relationship with Helen Blackthorn having announced her sexuality earlier this year. "Tell me what happened."

"it was March and maybe two weeks before midterms and spring break. We were hanging at our favorite bar. Aline was leaning against the bar chatting with her friends but occassionaly she would look in the direction of our group. And I like an idiot, made it very obvious that I was into her."

Simon had just broken up with his girlfriend, Maureen Brown, after discovering that the relationsip wasn't going anywhere. He was tired of the self-loving as Jace called it, desiring the soft body of someone of the opposite sex. Jace caught him looking and told his friend to go talk to her.

"You don't just walk up to a girl like that. well you can," Simon said pointedly. "But a chick like that wouldn't even consider giving me the time of day."

Jace took another swig of his beer and looked to Clary, placing his arm around her. gesturing with his beer, he pointed out the chick that Simon was staring at. "Shouldn't he at least try and see if he has a shot with her."

"Go on Si. You've been moping for the past three months trying to break up with Maureen and now that you've finally done it, it's time to get back in the saddle. Go over and talk to her."

Simon shook his head and looked back at the girl. She had caught his eye and gave a little half wave before whispering something to her friend. Jace nudged Simon, who shied away and suddenly became overly interested in his beer label. Seeing that his friend wasn't going to do anything, Jace finished off his beer and kissed Clary's cheek before heading over. Simon leaned back as Jace's gift of gab went to work. Within a few seconds, he had the entire group laughing and flirting to get his attention.

"You have to admire his tenacity. He has such an easy going nature and a way with the ladies that I wish I had. I'll bet he can get any woman to agree to do anything he wants. Oh man there was th one night when we were at the bar," As simon went on to tell Clary about the way he tricked the two sorority sisters into a threesome, her face fell and she became visibly upset. Byt the end of the story, Simon was laughing none the wiser to Clary's mood.

"Why would you tell me something like that Simon?" She scoffed, shaking her head before leaving for the door. Jace returned a second later and threw a napkin at him, saying her name was Aline and she was expecting his call in the morning. He looked around for Clary before Simon directed him towards the door. Jace nodded and headed outside to confront her, leaving Simon on the outside looking in once more.

"when Aline and I went out, I was really nervous but she seemed to pick up on it. she cracked a few jokes and eased the tension. It wasn't until the end of the date that she told me the truth."

"I have to admit, I thought I was going out with the blond guy from the bar. Not that this wasn't fun and all. It's just…"

"You mean Jace? he has a girlfriend. She was at the bar with him." Simon laughed it off but stopped when Aline explained that Jace was acting single that night in the bar. He was flirting and touching her leg, asking her private questions.

"I stayed away and contemplated telling Clary. Then the day I went to tell her, she was in such high spirits I couldn't ruin it for her. After Christmas, Clary's wanted to introduce Jace to her parents. But as her parents were divorce and her mother couldn't stand to be in the same room as her father, it'd been tricky. Her mom called earlier to say that she was coming to town to celebrate her brother's engagement. Jocelyn knew her father was going to be there but was willing to put up with it for Jonathan, Clary's brother.

"Clary asked Jace to attend the party with her and at first he seemed excited and happy. But as the date drew near, he starting pulling some of his old tricks of disappearing for days on ends, acting shady and things like that. I thought maybe he was considering breaking up with her but he wasn't. I confronted him one night while Clary was out shopping for a dress. Come to find out, he was nervous."

Simon took a seat and watched as his friend who had the confidence to move mountains was afraid of meeting his girlfriend's parents. "I've never been with someone long enough that warranted a meeting of their parents. And I care for Clary. I really do but this is a big deal. And I'm trying hard not to screw it up. I don't want to screw it up. I'm in love with Clary and I don't want to lose her."

"I realized then that it was possible Jace had changed and he really was trying with Clary. The guy I thought would never settle down was sitting in front of me telling me he was watching his every step to make sure he didn't do anything to lose her. so I gave him some advice and told him he had nothing to worry about. I told him to stick by her as she was good for him."

"After our talk, he seemed okay and asked me to help him pick out a nice suit to wear. the night of, I caught up on some homework I'd been putting off. About three hours after Clary left, she was banging on my front door. When I threw it open, she came barging in with a wild look in her eyes. before I could even ask her what was going on, she was running up and down the stairs, searching all the rooms in the house.

"Is he here? Is Jace here?" She shouted at Simon.

Simon figured she was talking about Jace but didn't understand why she would be looking for him there. He was supposed to be at the engagement party with her. The fact that she was here looking for him meant something was wrong. Simon grabbed a jacket and followed her out the door, commenting on her dress as they went looking for Jace.

After checking all of his familiar haunts and likely places, Clary decided to go home and wait for him. Simon offered but Clary shut him down, stating she wanted to be alone.

"She allowed me to walk her back home. But when we got there, it just didn't feel right. Jace's bike was still in the driveway and his cell phone was still on the counter. Clary walked upstairs and I followed. I remember I just kept hoping that he had overslept or he wasn't feeling good. But my hopes were dashed when we opened the bedroom door to find Jace in the bed they shared, getting a blow job from Aline. Clary shouted out and screamed at him.

"Clary kept shouting that Jace was nothing and their relationship meant nothing to him as she ran from the bedroom. Aline was fixing her clothes while Jace tried to go after her. I stood in the doorway and repeated the things he just told me the other day. How he cared about her and didn't want to do anything to ruin the relationship. I stood in that doorway looking at my friend and felt nothing but disgust."


	13. Two Bodies Found

**Chapter Thirteen – Two Bodies Found**

Malachi left a couple of cops to search the ground floor while he, Malik and Kadir headed up the steps. As they reached the landing, Malik noticed a small hand hanging over the steps. He shouted for the rest to follow and rushed forward finding both Clary and Jace. Malachi called it in, asking for two ambulances to arrive at their location right away.

When Patrick got the call over his radio, he shouted for Simon to finish his story quickly. Simon stuttered and stumbled over his words before finally getting back to it.

"After Clary discovered Jace and Aline, she and I left. Clary was screaming in the street before she finally broke down crying. I tried to calm her down and eventually succeeding in convincing her that sitting in the middle of the road crying was dangerous. She didn't want to go back to her place so I took her to mine and told Eric and Matt to keep an eye out for Jace. I gave her a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt, leaving her to change. When I returned to the room she stated she wanted to be alone so I stayed in the living room, playing some video games while Clary curled up on the bed and cried.

"I was so upset that she was hurting but on some small level I knew he was going to break her heart. I had just hoped she wouldn't spend all her time crying over him as he wasn't deserving of her tears. Eventually we all passed out round 12:30, me staying on the couch as I gave Clary my room. Then around 3 or so, Jace came banging on the door. I tried sending him away but he was begging me to let him in and speak with Clary. All his banging and shouting woke our neighbors. One of them threatened to call the police so he finally left but it wasn't the end. The next day while Jace was gone, I went with Clary to go collect some of her things. As soon as she got to the bedroom, rather than pack her clothes; she started ripping the place apart. She snatched the pictures and drawings of him from the walls and threw all the gifts from him in the trash. She set it all on fire and shoved the mattress out the window with a lot of difficulty. I tried to help her but she was in a fit of rage and just wanted to cleanse the place of him."

"Ok so she was pissed off and destroyed the bedroom she shared with him. I'm guessing once she was done she moved in with you."

Simon nodded and explained how he gave up his room for her and spent his nights on the couch. As the weeks went by Clary took precautions to avoid Jace like the plague. She changed her routes and her schedule at work. She even took to studying in the stacks on the fifth floor of the library.

"And then he found her and confronted her. By the time I got there, he had her cornered between a bookshelf and an emergency exit. He kept trying to tell her that it wasn't his fault but she was shouting out for help. She hit the handle on the emergency door, bringing the security guard. I grabbed Jace by the shoulder and tried to pull him away but he threw his elbow back and slammed it into my jaw. I stumbled a bit and he turned, shoving me and punching me. In that moment Clary and I both saw the "other" side of Jace. He shoved me and I almost went down the stairs.

"Security whisked him away but he was still trying to fight against the restraints. Clary was fine, just a little shaken up. Then the stalking started. While everyone was out of the house, Jace would break in and leave flowers on her bed along with music he wrote for her. I suggested going to the police like I had done when it all started. Get a restraining order on him or something. So many times I begged her to at least notify the school but she claimed she didn't want to get him in trouble. When Jace took to leaving photos of her sleeping, I got the locks changed and she filed a restraining order.

"And then it got weird."

Simon explained how one afternoon he saw Jace at his old place, being placed in handcuffs. He rushed forward thinking something had happened to Clary but learned from one of the bystanders that Jace was being arrested for drug possession. Simon felt it was a bit curious that just when Jace was started to border on insanity when it came to Clary that he would be arrested for drug possession, something he knew Jace would never touch.

"As they walked him out, he caught my eye and just stared at me. He didn't say anything but if looks could kill…"

Once Jace was carted off to the police station, he returned to his home to find Clary sitting in the dark, just staring at the wall.

"I told her that Jace was arrested for drug possession. This was so confusing for me. I knew that Jace swore he would never touch them as he believed his father's use of drugs caused the problems in his parents' marriage. No matter how bad things got, he never smoked anything stronger than a cigarettes nor did he take anything stronger than aspirin. Clary sat there on the bed, unblinking and eerily calm as she murmured, 'it had to end. It just had to end.' I began to wonder if Clary possibly had something to do with his arrest. I left her alone but some time later that night, she asked me to join her in the bed. She claimed she didn't want to be alone. And that night started the beginning of us."

**AN: Next chapter will explain what happened after the events in Chapter One!**


	14. The Showdown

**AN: Fair warning, this chapter contains a very intense and violent scene but will explain what happened after the studio scene.**

**Chapter Fourteen – The Showdown**

Patrick looked back over Jace's file, searching for something that he missed. The story made sense but he felt like he had missed something. Patrick could understand Clary anger over the discovery of infidelity. The fact that Herondale took to stalking and sending her personal things explained the restraining order mentioned in the file. But the drugs, it seemed to random. His file stated that the drugs were spread throughout the house, some of the drug in small bags and large piles. His fingerprints were all over the evidence along with that of a known drug dealer. It was enough to arrest him and prosecute him but to Patrick it seemed a little too perfect.

He flipped the page and noticed that Jace was charged with Intent to Sell, which usually carried a sentence of 5-10 years but he was only given 2 years per State Law. There were other infractions on his record: disorderly conduct, reckless driving and a few assault charges. Patrick paid more attention to the assault charges, none of which had escaladed as far as it had with Fray.

"He only served 18 months?" Patrick read, looking back to Simon.

"Jace's father hired the best lawyers and managed to get him out on good behavior or something like that. I remember the day I heard the news from his mother. She wanted to throw him a welcome home party or something and I had to tell her a lie about how I had a gig with my band. It was September 17, 2008. I told Clary the news and we decided to move further into the city as a precaution.

"Her mom was the one who found the place for us and gave Clary her studio. I convinced her to get a gun permit and she went to the range to learn how to properly use it. We got an unlisted phone number and told very few people where we moved. The entire time I've been trying to figure out if I made a mistake or told the wrong person. I have no idea how he found us."

Patrick jotted down a note just as his radio crackled once more. Malachi's voice came through on the other line stating they were bringing both Clary and Jace to the hospital. Patrick turned on Simon when his partner stated that one of them had gun wounds and would need surgery. The tired cop lunged across the table and grabbed Simon by his shirt collar, shouting "TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT WAREHOUSE AND IT BETTER BE THE TRUTH!"

Robert, who spent all this time taking notes of his own, finally spoke up demanding Patrick release his client.

Patrick settled back in his chair but kept the crazed look on his face. Simon, despite being frazzled, managed was able to recall the events of that morning with somewhat perfect clarity. Going back to the beginning had helped as now his brain was bringing forth the images.

"The last thing I remembered was being hit in the back of the head. I don't think he realized that he hadn't hit me hard as I woke up maybe 30 minutes or so after our scuffle."

"And just how do you know that?" Patrick asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Because I was texting Erik right before I entered the loft. It takes me one minute to walk up the steps and the fight lasted 3 minutes. You can check the time stamp on my message if you want."

"No need. What happened next?"

"I'm guessing Jace tied me up and threw me in the back of my van. I woke up as Jace seemed determined and also deliberate to hit every pot hole and bump. I tried to move my hands but he zip-tied them so I searched for Clary but she wasn't there. I didn't know until later that he had placed her in the front with him. As soon as I started smelling the run off, I knew where we were. At the old warehouse in the meat packing district. The door opened and he was holding tightly onto Clary's arm, pointing the gun at me.

"I wanted to attack him but not at the risk of Clary being caught in the crosshairs. I started scooting to the edge as he instructed and walked ahead into the building. As soon as we were in, he slid the heavy metal door closed and shoved me forward. He threw Clary onto a couch and kept his eye on her and the gun on me. He told me to sit in the floor near a pole and tossed a pair of handcuffs to me. In a flash he was behind me and cut my zip ties and had me handcuffed to the pole.

"One he was certain I wasn't going anywhere he started explaining his reasoning."

"You know, I kept going over everything in my mind," He called out. "Who would benefit the most from setting me up? And as I went through the list, I landed on you and that asshole.

"And I realized it all started with that night. It was one mistake Clary. ONE LITTLE MISTAKE." He shouted scaring her as the crazed look in his eyes turned into pure rage. He rushed forward and kneeled in front of her. "You have no idea what I would give to go back to that night. I swear I was on my way out the door to meet you when she showed up. I tried my hardest to resist her but she kept saying how she felt something between us that night at the bar and that I belonged with her."

"Jace you don't have to explain. I've let it go." Clary cried, fearful for their safety.

Realizing too little, too late that it was the wrong thing to say, Clary flinched as Jace reared his hand in a motion to slap her. But at the last second he thought better of it and simply caressed her face.

"And I love that you have but I want you to know the truth. If we are going to start things over the right way then we need to clear the air." Jace grabbed her a little more gently this time and led Clary up the stairs to the secondary level, the gun pointed at the back of her head. This was the moment that he had clung to so desperately while awaiting his release. When they had ventured far enough, he shoved her into the corner and started back up again.

"And there is something that I need to know."

"That was the last thing I heard. I figured they were too far away for their voices to carry so I started looking for something I could use to get free of my handcuff. The old warehouses were being converted into warehouse lofts so there were plenty of construction tables set up and sawdust on the floor. It looked like they had started some of the work as there were wooden safety railings along the stairwells and other floors.

"When I didn't find anything, I remembered from an old TV show that if you broke your thumbs you could get out handcuffs. So I did and it was most painful, but I pushed the pain aside and ran up the stairs. When I reached the landing they were on, I called out to him. Jace quickly turned on me and shouted to not venture any closer. I took one step forward and he cocked the gun, pointing it right at my chest cavity. He then turned back to Clary and continued the conversation he began while I was downstairs."

"I loved you. You were the only girl I ever loved. I still love you. Did you not understand that you were my muse? You were the only thing that kept me sane. I have to know that I meant the same to you. Tell me that I meant something to you."

"And what did Clary tell him?" Patrick egged him on, feeling like he was trapped in a bad soap opera.

"She looked up at him with soft green eyes and told him that he meant nothing to her. His face scrunched up and I could see he was wrestling internally with himself. I rushed forward and tried to grab the guy but we crashed into Clary and sent her flying through a newly constructed glass pane separating the bathroom from the rest of what would be a bedroom. I watched in horror as she tumbled over the platform down to the secondary level. Jace was swift in jumping down from where we were to the landing where she was laying so perfectly still. Jace brushed her hair back tenderly and began checking her for a pulse.

"By the time I reached them, he was crying over her body, murmuring something. He turned and stared daggers at me, as if he was willing them to come alive and murder me. I walked a bit closer and told him he should have stayed away. He then grabbed a long shard off glass and charged towards me."

"And that's when you fired the gun?" Patrick supplied.

"Yeah, I closed my eyes and fired the gun three times. I didn't know what I hit. I had never fired a gun before as I never had a reason to. But you have to know that I did it all to protect her."

As he rambled on and explained how as his driving was affected by his broken thumbs, he crashed and spend a long time walking through the woods, trying to find his way back. Patrick jotted it all down and realized that Simon wasn't a suspect but just a guy who was trying to protect his girlfriend from a crazy ex.

He explained this to Simon and his lawyer who assured Simon so long as Clary's version of things could corroborate his account of things, there would be no jail time or legal ramifications for him. Patrick shut off the tape recorder and packed up everything as Simon rejoined his mother.

At the hospital Malachi was getting Clary's version of things as the glass was being removed from her body. The fall rendered her unconscious but she was very lucky her injuries weren't more serious.

"I'm sorry I only remember a few bits and pieces but I remember Jace being in my studio this morning. He was so calm when he was speaking to me. Then Simon came in and they fought for my gun; then blackness. Then I remember being in the warehouse and Jace trying to convince me to give him a second chance, that the events earlier would be us clearing the path for our fresh start."

"So it was all Mr. Herondale?"

"Towards the end of it all, Jace was acting very crazy and obsessive. He was a real, 'if I can't have you no one can' type in that warehouse.' Yeah, I don't know what I would have done if Simon hadn't arrived when he did, both times."

Malachi nodded and passed Clary his card, telling her to call him if she remembered anything.

**AN: Next chapter is the last chapter :(**


	15. Epilogue

**Chapter Fifteen – Epilogue**

Patrick and Malachi were sitting in front of their computers, typing up their reports. Patrick was moving at a steady pace but Malachi was having some trouble. The things he'd seen were sticking with him. In all his years as a cop he has seen some pretty violent crimes and had dealt with his fair share of domestic disputes. But there was something about this one that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He paused in his task and looked around to his partner, garnering his attention quickly.

"Do you think it's possible we missed something?" Patrick stopped typing and tore his eyes away from his computer screen to confront his partner. "I know it wasn't exactly open and shut but we have two victims who both fingered Herondale as the perp. But I understand how you feel; for a while I was considering the friend Simon. He was always within and without with that whole triangle. In the end the girl finally saw him as the hero. She had a restraining order and there were mentions of him stalking his previous girlfriends and breaking and entering onto private property. It was all there. We didn't miss anything."

Malachi nodded but couldn't shake the feeling away.

At the hospital, Simon left his mother to speak with Jocelyn and a white haired man while he ran through the halls in search of his friends. He reached Jace first. He was hooked up to a breathing machine and his mother was sitting next to him, clutching his hand as she choked back tears.

"Oh, Simon I should have known you would be here. I can't explain…this is all Stephen." She pointed to her son lying in front of her. He was wrapped up and bandaged, his bruises and scrapes covered up. In that moment, he reminded Simon of the innocent Jace he met in school.

"Mrs. Herondale, why don't you go and get some food from the cafeteria. I'll sit with Jace until you return."

She looked reluctant at first but then nodded and leaned over the bed railing to place a small kiss on the only part of Jace's face that wasn't covered. Despite being shot in the stomach three times, Jace wasn't placed in a medical coma. He was just given some sedation to ease the pain after the surgery he needed. Simon took the seat Jace's mother occupied and laid his head on the bed, trying to think of what to say. He looked at his oldest friend's closed eyes and shook his head as he recalled the events that lead to this moment and how it all came to an end in the tower.

Simon was left in Clary's studio after the fight. Jace never wanted to engage him but figured it was better to know him out just hard enough to give him a head start. When Simon came to, he used the friend tracker app on his phone to find Clary's location. He knew his friend was a creature of habit and wasn't surprise when he saw she was at the warehouse. Simon drove his van to the place, Jace's motorcycle already being there. He wasn't sure how he made the drive from the studio to the loft with Clary but his friend was clever if nothing else. Simon approached the building with caution, keeping his eyes opened. As he approached the stairs, the muffled sounds of voices floating to his ear drums. Checking to see if the gun was still tucked in his waistband, he quietly crept towards the area where Jace had Clary.

"All those months I spent in jail for the drugs, I thought of nothing else but you. You were my first thought upon waking and my last before going to sleep. Even when I felt the most angered, just the simple thought of your smile or the way you laughed could calm me. I thought I would lose you but I know that we can fix it." He started toward Clary. When he was right in front of her face, he removed the piece of tape covering her lips.

"I'm sorry that I had to essentially kidnap you but I needed to get you away from that ass. I knew he would never let me see you and I need to get all of this off my chest. Just promise me you won't try to run. Just don't run." Jace looked into Clary's eyes and saw the small glimmer of hope that she was giving him.

"I won't run." She spoke softly. He nodded and unclipped the zip ties from her back, backing away so she didn't feel threatened. Clary glanced towards the stairs for a brief moment but suddenly she didn't feel afraid to be in his presence. Somehow she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

"I kept going over everything in my mind and tried to figure out who would set me up? Why go through the trouble of planting drugs in our place to set me up? And I thought it was you. That this was your way of trying to keep me out of your life." He chuckled darkly, his back still to her. When he turned around, she saw the crazed look was back in his eye.

"And I realized, it was probably revenge for that night. I was on my way out the door when she showed up. She was leaning in the doorway, flirting with me and dragging her finger along my chin and cheeks. She just kept saying that she felt a spark between us at the bar that night and I could possibly be the one."

"Jace you don't have to explain. I've let it go." Clary cried out.

He slammed his hands on either side of his head and barked at her, "Well I haven't! Someone set me up Clary! You have to see that! I was set up. I loved you. You have to know that I loved you. I still love you. I would have done anything for you. I would have given you anything. Hell, I would burn down the world, if I could dig you out from the ashes. Did you really think that little of me? Did you not understand that you were my muse? The only thing keeping me sane." He sat down in front of her as the tears started to fall. Jace leaned forward and placed his head on her, shaking softly.

"Please Clary. Please tell me I meant something to you."

Simon watched in horror as Clary looked into his slanted eyes and wiped away his tears. "Of course you meant something to me Jace. I loved you and I still love you. I always cared for you and I wrote to you while you were away. I wanted you to know that I wasn't mad and wanted to continue being friends once you returned." She smiled, stroking his hair. Jace looked upon her eyes once more, happiness swelling within as he realized that she was telling the truth. He pulled her to her feet and cupped her face in his, opening his mouth to speak.

Letting his anger blind him, Simon charged forward with the intention of shoving Jace over the railing to his death but instead threw his shoulder into Clary, sending her to the platform. Jace shoved his back violently, causing him to slam his head into a metal beam. Simon could feel the blood pooling around the wound as Jace jumped down, landing with ease. He rushed forward and looked at her still form, calling out her name. When she didn't answer, he checked for a pulse but there was none. Jace threw his body over hers and cried, the sobs racking his body.

Simon slowly approached, watching the scene before him. He loved Clary and hadn't wanted to hurt her. He only wanted to keep her safe from Jace.

"Why?" He called out.

Jace looked over his shoulder, murder in his eyes as he answered Simon. "Why what?"

"Why after everything that you did, why does she still love you. I was the good guy, the best friend who was always there for her. I took care of her. But no matter what I did, I would never be you. After everything I did to get you out of the picture, she still wants you."

Jace shook his head, sniffling as he realized that Simon basically just told him he was the one who had set him up.

"I did it all in the hopes that she would forget about you. I'm the one who's always been there for her, not you. You were only using her. I was the one she belonged with, not you. If you would have stayed away, I could have made her happy. And I will have her."

"You're the true asshole." Jace scoffed.

Simon nodded. "I accept that. But if I can't have her, then no one ever will." In a flash, Simon had the gun in hand and cocked, shooting Jace in the stomach three times before he fell over, his hand grazing Clary's as he landed.

Simon then went about staging the scene, breaking his thumbs and his wrist before slamming his head into a beam. He then staged the scene so all the blame would fall to Jace once again. He even went so far as to drive his van into the woods while zip-tied to the steering wheel, causing him to crash his van to further the lie. He wandered through the woods before finding the frat house and passed out on the lawn.

"My plan was so brilliant." Simon smirked as he explained how he stole the key Clary still had to the place and planted the drugs, packaging them in items, Jace already had his fingerprints all over and then phoned in the tip. How he was the one who called Aline and told her that Jace wanted her to come by that night. Simon even stole sheet music and copied various works to create the "new music" and was the one taking the photos of her sleeping.

"It was the perfect set up and neither of you saw it coming. So rest up my friend and enjoy the view," He pointed to the window. "Because once the cops are through with you, it will be a long while before you see the outside world again."

Jace's eyes were still closed as Simon said nothing else as he got up and walked out into the hall just as Clary came around the corner. She thanked him for saving her life and asked if he could take her home.

"I will always save you." He smiled as he led her out the hospital.

When Celine returned to her son's room, she tried to retake his hand but jumped back in surprise as his eyes flew open and he tapping the bed. Uncertain at first what he was doing, she realized it was Morse code, something he learned from his father.

His message was ...| ..| -| -| -.|.-.-.- Celine asked him to tap it out once more as she wrote the correct corresponding letter for each tap.

"Simon? He was just here. What about him?"

-.-.|.-..|.-|.-.|-.-| -.|-|-| ...|.-|..-.|.|.-.-.-

"Clary not safe."

It hadn't taken Celine long to figure out what her son was trying to tell her. She ran from the room, searching all over for the spectacled boy and the red-haired girl but they were no where to be found.

**AN: And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this story as it contained a slightly non-cannoned Jace. I enjoyed writing it for you and although I am leaving the ending wide open, I have no plans to write a squeal for this story.**


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